NASCAR at Phoenix: Start time, lineup, TV/radio schedule and more
AVONDALE, Ariz. — It's NASCAR race day at Phoenix International Raceway, and we've got some essential information you need to get ready for Sunday's Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500.
START TIME: Andrew Lotts, a U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient, will instruct drivers to start their engines at 3:09 p.m. Eastern time today (1:09 local), followed by the green flag at 3:17 p.m. So if you want to skip the pre-race show and just tune in for the race, turn on your TV at 3:17 p.m.
RACE DISTANCE: The Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 is 500 kilometers, not 500 miles. That requires 312 laps around the 1-mile Phoenix International Raceway for a total of 312 miles.
NATIONAL ANTHEM: Hayley Orrantia, who portrays Erica Goldberg on ABC's The Goldbergs, will sing the national anthem prior to today's race.
TV/RADIO SCHEDULE: ESPN will broadcast today's race and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will call the race on the radio.
WEATHER: The National Weather Service is calling for a near-perfect day in the desert. The forecast is for sunny skies with no clouds and a high of 85.
LAST TIME: Kevin Harvick scored a win in the second race of 2014 and clinched his Chase for the Sprint Cup spot early. And one year ago, Harvick also won at Phoenix — he has three wins in the last four Phoenix races.
STARTING LINEUP: Denny Hamlin won the pole for today's race, followed by Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick.
Here's the full starting lineup for today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix:
SUNDAY'S LINEUP
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
2. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford
3. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
4. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
5. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota
6. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota
7. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
8. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
9. (55) Brian Vickers, Toyota
10. (41) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
11. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet
12. (13) Casey Mears, Chevrolet
13. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford
14. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet
15. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
16. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
17. (15) Clint Bowyer, Toyota
18. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford
19. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet
20. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet
21. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford
22. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet
23. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford
24. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
25. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
26. (33) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
27. (51) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet
28. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford
29. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet
30. (7) Michael Annett, Chevrolet
31. (95) Michael McDowell, Ford
32. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet
33. (36) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet
34. (38) David Gilliland, Ford
35. (34) David Ragan, Ford
36. (98) Josh Wise, Chevrolet
37. (23) Alex Bowman, Toyota
38. (40) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet
39. (37) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet
40. (26) Cole Whitt, Toyota
41. (83) J.J. Yeley, Toyota
42. (32) Joey Gase, Ford
43. (66) Mike Wallace, Toyota
Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck